Royal Challengers Bengaluru kept their momentum going in the upper half of the IPL 2026 table on Friday, recording another win that strengthens their chances of reaching the play-offs. In their chase versus the Gujarat Titans, RCB successfully hunted down the target with seven balls remaining, anchored by Virat Kohli’s composed 81. The innings had an early twist: Kohli was almost dismissed before he even got going when a catch was dropped at the very start of his spell at the crease, and he made sure the Gujarat Titans paid for the missed opportunity.
That reprieve proved costly for GT. Kohli was eventually sent back by Jason Holder, but not before he punished the bowling—finishing his knock with eight fours and four sixes. One of those towering hits even drew visible celebrations from the stands, where Anushka Sharma, Kohli’s wife, was spotted reacting to the moment. Known for being a regular presence at RCB’s home matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, she was seen flashing a gesture that looked like a money-themed celebration as play unfolded.
However, the reaction didn’t last long once the camera swung in her direction. Realising she had done something she probably shouldn’t have been seen doing on screen, her expression shifted to an unmistakable “guilty” look. The change in mood was immediate—she then stopped, began laughing, and appeared to cover up the moment as the broadcast focused on her.
On the cricket front, Kohli also wrote himself into the record books. His innings of 81 runs helped him become the first batter in IPL history to reach 800 fours. At the time of the milestone, Kohli had already amassed 807 boundaries across 274 IPL matches, the highest total by any player in tournament history. He is now well ahead of the second-place batter, Shikhar Dhawan, who has 768 fours to his name.
Kohli’s landmark day didn’t end there. He also joined an elite list by becoming only the third player to score 300 sixes in IPL cricket, following the trail blazed by Chris Gayle (357) and Rohit Sharma (310). With the knock, Kohli’s tally moved to 303 maximums.
In purely match terms, Kohli’s 81 came off 44 balls against GT, featuring eight fours and four sixes. That innings also carried additional significance for the season race, with Kohli taking the Orange Cap lead at the time for being the tournament’s top run-scorer in IPL 2026.
